Semiconductor devices and methods of formation thereof

Abstract

In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first contact pad disposed at a top side of a workpiece, a second contact pad disposed at the top side of the workpiece. An isolation region is disposed between the first contact pad and the second contact pad. A metal strip is disposed at least partially within the isolation region. The metal strip is not coupled to an external potential node.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A semiconductor device comprising:
 a first contact pad disposed directly over a first active region at a top side of a workpiece; 
 a second contact pad disposed directly over a second active region at the top side of the workpiece; 
 an isolation region disposed between the first active region and the second active region, wherein the isolation region isolates the first active region from the second active region, wherein the workpiece comprises a major surface and wherein the first contact pad, the second contact pad, and the isolation region are disposed over the major surface; 
 a conductive layer disposed directly over the isolation region; and 
 a metal strip disposed directly over the isolation region, wherein the metal strip is disposed at least partially within the conductive layer, wherein the metal strip is not coupled to an external potential node, wherein the metal strip comprises a long narrow shape having a length extending along a direction parallel to the major surface of the workpiece. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a metal network disposed in the isolation region, the metal network comprising the metal strip. 
 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2 , wherein the metal network comprises a plurality of metal strips disposed within the isolation region. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first contact pad is configured to be coupled to a first external node, wherein the first contact pad is coupled to the first active region; and wherein a second contact pad is configured to be coupled to a second external node, wherein the second contact pad is coupled to the second active region. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 4 , wherein the first contact pad and the second contact pad are part of an external face of the semiconductor device. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 4 , wherein the isolation region comprises a semiconductor region. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first contact pad and the second contact pad comprise a first metal layer and a second metal layer disposed over the first metal layer. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 7 , wherein the first metal layer and the metal strip comprise a same material. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 8 , wherein the metal strip comprises a metal liner and a fill material. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 7 , wherein the thickness of the first metal layer is at least half the width of the metal strip. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 7 , wherein the width of the metal strip is less than a minimum feature for contact pad formation for the process technology used to fabricate the semiconductor device. 
     
     
       12. A semiconductor device comprising:
 a first contact pad disposed at a top side of a workpiece comprising a semiconductor substrate; 
 a second contact pad disposed at the top side of the workpiece, wherein no other contact pad is disposed between the first contact pad and the second contact pad; 
 an isolation region disposed in the semiconductor substrate between the first contact pad and the second contact pad, wherein the workpiece comprises a major surface and wherein the first contact pad, the second contact pad, and the isolation region are disposed over the major surface; 
 a conductive layer disposed directly over the isolation region; 
 a first metal strip disposed at least partially within the conductive layer; and 
 a second metal strip disposed at least partially within the conductive layer, wherein the first metal strip and the second metal strip are disposed between the first contact pad and the second contact pad, wherein the first metal strip and the second metal strip are not coupled to an external potential node, wherein the first metal strip and the second metal strip comprise a long narrow shape having a length extending along a direction parallel to the major surface of the workpiece. 
 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the first metal strip is coupled to the second metal strip through a third metal strip oriented perpendicular to the first metal strip. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the first contact pad and the second contact pad are part of an external face of the semiconductor device. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 14 , wherein the conductive layer comprises a top surface that is part of the external face of the semiconductor device. 
     
     
       16. The device of  claim 12 , wherein a width of the first metal strip is less than a width of the first contact pad. 
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the first metal strip is coupled to the second metal strip by a metal feature disposed within the isolation region, the metal feature having a first region touching the first metal strip and a second region touching the second metal strip. 
     
     
       18. A semiconductor device comprising:
 a first contact pad disposed directly over a first active region at a top side of a workpiece; 
 a second contact pad disposed directly over a second active region at the top side of the workpiece, the first contact pad and the second contact pad comprising a lower metal layer of a first material and a upper metal layer of a second material disposed over the lower metal layer; 
 a conductive layer comprising a third material disposed between the first contact pad and the second contact pad, the first contact pad, the second contact pad, and the conductive layer being part of an exposed surface of the semiconductor device; and 
 a first metal strip disposed at least partially within the conductive layer, wherein the first metal strip is not coupled to an external potential node, wherein the first metal strip comprises a long narrow shape having a length and a width smaller than the length in a plane parallel to a major surface of the workpiece, wherein the first metal strip comprises the first material; and 
 a second metal strip disposed at least partially within the conductive layer, wherein the second metal strip is not coupled to an external potential node, wherein the second metal strip comprises a long narrow shape having a length and a width smaller than the length in the plane parallel to the major surface of the workpiece, wherein the second metal strip comprises the first material. 
 
     
     
       19. The device of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a metal network disposed at least partially within the conductive layer, the metal network comprising the first metal strip and the second metal strip. 
 
     
     
       20. The device of  claim 18 , wherein the first metal strip is coupled to the second metal strip through a third metal strip oriented perpendicular to the first metal strip.